In the installation of airport runway touchdown zone, centerline and edge lighting systems, as well as in the installation of taxiway centerline and edge lighting systems, and other lighting systems, certain steel containers are utilized. These containers are embedded in the runway, taxiway and other pavements at the time these runway and taxiway pavements are poured.
These containers, hereinafter referred to as embedded containers, vary in length and diameter. The existing old art containers provide an inverted flange at their top portion, which has a standard set of threaded holes to allow for the runway, taxiway, edge and other light fixtures to be bolted onto them above the pavement surface, or to allow for the top section of the container to be bolted onto the bottom section, if it is a two-section container. A great majority of these existing, old art containers are two section containers, bolted together at their inverted flanges. The light fixture is then bolted onto the top inverted flange of the top section of the two-section container.
The top section of the two-section containers are herewith referred to as the fixed length extension, which is part of the old art embedded containers.
The light fixtures installed on said embedded containers, have to be aligned with respect to each other, in a pefectly straight line, on the horizontal plane and their height has to be set within a fixed, strict tolerance, measured from the pavement surface.
These embedded containers below the pavement surface serve as light fixture bases. They also serve as transformer housings and junction boxes. Depending on the location where these containers are installed they are exposed to varying degrees and types of forces applied to them by the aircraft and other vehicular traffic in that location. For example, runway and taxiway centerline light fixtures and the containers they are bolted onto, are subjected to direct aircraft and other heavy vehicular loading applied to the top flange of the container and transmitted down to its walls.
One additional aspect of the installation of the light fixtures upon the embedded containers is their alignment with respect to each other, in a perfectly straight line, known as azimuth correction.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a method and means for adjusting with precision and simplicity the height the azimuth of embedded containers and for aligning, with great simplicity and precision the lighting fixture that are installed upon the apparatus and method of the present invention.
The means by which the precise height adjustments and the precise azimuth corrections of the, new art will be made, is generally described as the Adjustable Container Set.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method and means for adjusting the height of embedded containers without having to install individual fixed length extensions and flat rings.
These and other objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.